Blackout
by Airhead259
Summary: Oneshot, AU. Sakura makes a new friend in the most unexpected of places. Slight crossover with Kobato.


_As they say, the best ideas arise in the shower, which is where I got this one from xD I haven't written a Tsubasa fic before, but I was inspired when I managed to reawaken my obsession. It may not be the best, but whatever. Oh, and I'll get back to my Avatar fics soon! I've been a little less inspired, but I WILL finish them :l_

_This fic crosses over slightly with Kobato. You don't have to have watched the anime or read the manga to understand, but you might just find it a little more amusing..._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Tsubasa or its characters._

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Blackout

"Sakura-chan! You came!"

At the mention of her name, a young girl walked into the room. Her bright, green eyes were alight with curiosity as she looked around eagerly. The entire space was filled with boxes of every shape and size, each containing toys and books. Play-mats lined the floor and a chalkboard sat in the corner, covered in drawings. A group of children ran towards her, excited by her arrival. She laughed as they surrounded her and began to ask her all sorts of questions.

A young woman approached her as the crowd began to dissipate. She was tall and had her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, except for two strands, which framed her face. A pair of thin-rimmed glasses hid her violet eyes. She smiled at Sakura.

"Thank you for coming, Sakura-chan. I'm very grateful."

"Oh, you're welcome, Sayaka-san," replied Sakura. "I'm glad to help. After all, it must be hard moving these things all on your own!"

The woman chuckled. "Actually, I do have a little help, but it'll be much faster if we all work together. Now, could you please start by fetching some boxes from the playroom?"

The girl nodded eagerly and walked off. Sayaka smiled to herself and continued to clean up.

'_She really reminds me of that girl who used to work here…'_

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Sakura slid open the door to the playroom and walked in. Some crates were lined up against the wall and she walked up to them. She bent over to pick one up, but just then, she heard a noise. She looked up and noticed a small doorway leading to a side room.

"What was that?" she wondered out loud. "I should go check, just in case."

Slowly, she made her way over to the doorway and stepped inside the room. The floor was made of wooden panels, much like the rest of the nursery. An organ covered in a dusty, white cloth sat at the back of the room. She looked towards the large windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling and then, her eyes widened.

Someone was standing near one of the windows, looking out at the garden. The moonlight illuminated his face, which was turned away from her. He did not seem to have noticed her and so, she stood there, unsure what to do with herself.

Just then, the door slammed shut. Sakura gasped loudly and immediately covered her mouth. The person turned around, finally becoming aware of her presence. The lights flickered and went out, turning the once-bright room pitch black. She squeaked and stood still, not moving a muscle.

A few moments later, she heard a clicking sound and then, a light appeared close to where the person had been standing. It was a tiny flame, flickering in the darkness. And, to her horror, it began to move towards her.

"Are you okay?" asked a masculine voice. She could hear him getting closer. Terrified and not knowing what to do, she stayed rooted to the spot, eyes closed tightly and fists clenched at her sides. She hoped that somehow, he would not be able to find her in the dark. Unfortunately for her, he stopped moving when he was just a few feet away. She could see the light from behind her closed eyelids and knew she had been found.

"Are you okay?" he repeated softly. Sakura refused to reply and continued to stand still.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," he stated gently. "Please, open your eyes."

Hesitating slightly, she opened her eyes and gasped. Before her stood a tall, young man, about the same age as her. He had a faint smile on his face and his amber eyes gleamed in the dim light. In his hand was a small cigarette lighter – the source of the flame.

Sakura looked at him carefully. His face held an expression of kindness as he looked at her calmly and she felt like she could trust him. Shyly, she smiled back at him and they continued to stand there, watching each other…

Suddenly, there was a thud. It sounded like a large pile of books had been knocked over. Without hesitation, the boy wrapped an arm around Sakura protectively and whispered, "Stay still." She blushed, but otherwise made no movement. They stayed like this for a few minutes, until he was sure that any threat had passed.

"It's okay - we're safe," he whispered and she sighed with relief. He removed his arm from around her and as she glanced up at his face, she could have sworn that she saw him blush as well.

"Come with me," he said calmly. "We should sit down until the lights come back on." He held out his hand. She waited for a few moments before taking it and they began to walk around cautiously.

Eventually, he found a wall and let go of her hand. "Did you find something?" she asked. He nodded and motioned for her to wait. Turning around, he sat down carefully and held out his hand again.

"The floor is soft here – I think they laid down some mats earlier. It should be alright to sit." She took his hand again and he pulled her down gently to sit beside him. They both leaned against the wall and sighed in unison.

After a while, Sakura gasped with realisation. "Oh, I'm sorry! I never asked you for your name!"

He turned to her, flame still in hand and smiled. "My name is Syaoran."

She grinned back. "I'm Sakura."

"You seem so cheery all of a sudden. May I ask why?" he enquired politely. She thought for a few moments before replying.

"Earlier, when the lights went out, I felt so lonely…and when you approached me, I was scared, because I didn't know you. But now, I know that you won't try to hurt me, and it makes me feel happy, knowing I'm not alone – I'm with someone I can trust..." she looked up at him and smiled, cheeks turning pink. "I'm with you."

He blushed and looked away, feeling embarrassed. Sakura merely giggled and rested her head against his shoulder. She watched the flame and her eyes slowly drifted towards the lighter. It was covered in an intricate pattern, consisting of vines and feathers woven together. "Um, I don't know if I should ask this question, but…do you smoke?"

Syaoran's eyes widened. "No…that is…I've never tried…um…" he stuttered awkwardly before somehow managing to compose himself. "I found this in an antique shop a while back and bought it because it looked nice. Also, I thought it would come in handy, like now," he replied.

"Ah, that makes sense…"she thought out loud, nodding her head. "You don't look like the type who would do something like that."

"I…suppose…"

They sat in silence for a while, waiting for the lights to turn back on. Syaoran eventually turned out the lighter and as their eyes adjusted to the dim light, they could see the moonlight filtering through the windows, forming large patches on the floor. Sakura watched in awe as they made the room appear to glow.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? I've always loved the moon…" she murmured, still mesmerised by the bright light. A cold breeze seemed to blow from nowhere and she shivered, wondering how long they had been sitting in the dark. Syaoran noticed this and glanced at her.

"Are you cold?" he asked quietly. She nodded and he wrapped an arm around her, bringing her closer. She snuggled up against him and sighed contentedly. Then, tears began to form in her eyes.

"Syaoran-kun, what if we don't get out of here?" she asked him, surprising both him and herself when she said his name. The tears began to roll down her face slowly and he gasped when she began to sob softly.

"It's so dark…what if the lights never come back on? We'll be trapped here forever-" she froze when he placed a finger against her lips, silencing her. "Don't worry," he said soothingly. "We're perfectly safe. It may be dark, but the door isn't locked – in time, we could get out of here. And besides," he paused, his face turning slightly red, "If we really were stuck here together, I couldn't think of a better person to be with."

She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "Do you really mean that?" she asked, her voice cracking a little. He nodded and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "I do."

Without realising at first, they began to lean towards each other. Sakura could feel his warm breath against her face. He was so close…she could almost…

The door burst open. The two of them jumped, startled by the sudden noise. The lights switched on and they groaned and covered their eyes.

Syaoran rubbed his eyes and stood up, taking Sakura with him. In the doorway stood a tall man with dark brown hair tied in a ponytail. He was wearing glasses and his eyes watched the two of them carefully as they adjusted themselves.

"What are you doing here? It's late," he stated, scowling slightly. "Everyone else has gone home. You had better leave too."

Sakura just stood there silently, confused. She looked between the boy standing next to her and the man at the door. Syaoran shook his head and looked at him. "I'm sorry Fujimoto-san," he replied. "We got stuck in here and couldn't find our way to the door in the dark."

The man sighed. "Alright," he said, sounding tired. "I'll take you to the exit."

As they walked, Sakura glanced at Syaoran sideways as he walked beside her. _'Those two really look similar…'_ she thought to herself. _'I wonder if they're related.'_

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They stepped out of the nursery, Sakura wearing Syaoran's jacket (which he had insisted on giving her). They could see each other much more clearly now and somehow, she felt more comfortable being next to him, if that was possible. Being in the darkness had been a little awkward, but now, they could see each other and talk face-to-face, which made her feel much better.

"Will I see you again, Syaoran-kun?" she asked him lightly and he turned to face her.

"Of course you will – we can meet here again tomorrow, if you'd like. I come here everyday to help out, since Fujimoto-san is my cousin."

She smiled. _'So I was right,'_ she thought.

Before they went their separate ways, Sakura turned around and waved to him. "Bye! I'll see you soon!"

He smiled and waved back. "Goodbye…Sakura." She blushed, noticing that he had said her name _only_. Grinning happily, she walked back home, hands in the pockets of the jacket that belonged to the boy she had begun to fall in love with.

'_We'll definitely meet again…Syaoran…' _

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Read and review please, it inspires me and helps me improve :)


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